Oh, boy. A trio of Republicans in the North Carolina General Assembly have introduced a bill rolling-back same-sex marriages in this benighted state.
News that the N.C General Assembly is once again talking about a ban on same-sex marriage is being met with derision across the country, not to mention a consensus that the proposal will never become state law. But the idea that some legislators feel compelled to take a symbolic swipe at gay marriage is calling into question how sincere NC was in repealing the anti-LGBT law House Bill 2.
There are a lot of layers here.
HB-2 was a Chamber of Commerce bill that eliminated the ability of local jurisdictions to enact minimum wage laws; the prohibition against rental protection laws for LGBT people, and the infamous restroom provision, were layered on top of that in order to win the support of preachers and their congregations. In other words, Godly indignation against gay rights was used to win support for legislation that subverted their interests — minimum-wage laws.
The half of the bill that caused all the excitement was pure theater.
This new bill is more of the same. Given the damage HB-2 has caused to the state, I doubt that its sponsors even want it to pass. What they want is for the yahoos to thrill with pride at the sight of their firm, manly stance for the Baby Jesus, et cetera, et cetera. And because people who believe in talking snakes are painfully stupid, they’ll probably get away with it.